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Movie Review: Masterminds

From its trailer, Masterminds looked like it was going to be either stupid fun or just plain stupid. Luckily, it ended up being more of the former, and the cast - with three Ghostbusters alums and a handful of past SNL members, too - was also very good.

David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) works at Loomis Fargo with Kelly (Kristen Wiig), and he's among large amounts of cash all day long. In fact, he's one of their most trusted employees, so he even has a key to the vault. He also has a major crush on Kelly, who knows this but just wants to be his friend. After Kelly quits Loomis, a few weeks later she falls in with childhood friend Steve (Owen Wilson) and his friends, and Steve has a brilliant idea: they should rob Loomis Fargo, and enlist David to help them do this. Kelly gives David a call, and although he has reservations, he would do anything for her, so the heist is a go; though there will be some unforeseen complications before, during, and after the heist.

This movie was actually based on a true story, although I'm assuming the people involved weren't quite as dumb as the characters in this movie; the book written about it is called Heist! The Oddball Crew Behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft, by Jeff Diamant, and was originally published in 2002. This film reminded me of a spoof on James Bond at times, especially during the end, and you could tell that everyone had a lot of fun filming this movie - make sure to stay through the credits for outtakes, too, which were also hilarious. I haven't even mentioned Jason Sudeikis yet either, who plays a hitman hired by Steve to kill David, too, and both him and Galifianakis were my favorites in this movie; Ghostbusters alums Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon have roles here too, as a detective and as David's white-trash fiancee, respectively.

Yes, see this movie. It would be great for a matinee or if you're in the mood for a silly comedy or "popcorn movie." The cast is mostly comprised of A-listers and you can tell that they are good at what they do; with a lesser cast, this film probably wouldn't have been as funny. The movie is set in 1997, when the robbery happened in real life, too, but a few of the fashions almost seem '70s or '80s vs. late '90s; most of the characters are hillbillies, so that could be why. I'd recommend this movie if you're looking for something fun to see at the theater, but it's not one you'll be thinking about for a while after you've seen it.

Masterminds is in theaters today, September 30th, and is rated PG-13 with a runtime of 94 minutes. 3.5 stars out of 5.

So we've all been there ... that time when you're on an important phone call, and then the call drops. Or even when you need to use the internet on your smartphone, only to realize that you're at your data limit for the month.

I drive all over the metro Detroit area for movie screenings; because of this, most of the time I know where I'm going, but sometimes, I'm in an unfamiliar area or at an unfamiliar theater and I need GPS to know how to get there and back.

A few months ago, I was headed to the AMC Forum (Sterling Heights area) and I wanted to know the best way to get home from there. My phone kept stalling ... and stalling ... and then the Maps app crashed! Gah! I was extremely frustrated. I was finally able to re-start the phone and get safely home, but it TOOK. SO. LONG. Had the Maps app worked the fir…

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Valentine's Day is coming up this week, and Dunkin' has released some seasonal doughnuts to celebrate!

About the doughnuts:
Valentine’s Day is all about love, but why stay trapped in the clichés of the holiday to express it? To help guests say it with donuts, and ease some of the holiday’s stress and high expectations, this year Dunkin’ is offering new choices as rich, diverse and dynamic as love itself. Dunkin’ today unveiled its Valentine’s Day lineup, including new Bling Sprinkles Donuts, the return of heart-shaped donuts and its first ever donut that features a perfect pairing of two delicious fillings.

A beloved symbol of the season, heart-shaped donuts are back in several varieties, including Boston Kreme and Jelly, for a limited time at participating Dunkin’ locations nationwide. Additionally, this year classic frosted donut varieties are getting dressed up for the season of love wit…